Austin County Obits

David Lee “Bootsie” Galle was born Feb. 27, 1947, in Brenham, to Hilbert and Aldean (Gross) Galle.
After his birth, the family moved from Brenham to the Star Hill Community near New Ulm.

Bootsie was baptized on Aug. 18, 1957, and confirmed in his faith on March 26, 1961, at St. John Lutheran
Church in New Ulm. He attended grades 1–9 at West End Elementary in Industry. He graduated from Bellville High School in 1965, and received an Associate of
Arts degree from Blinn Jr. College in 1967.

Even in his childhood years, Bootsie was a hard worker, chopping and picking cotton on the farm, feeding
chickens, gathering eggs, feeding cows, and numerous other activities he loved to boast about. He joined the Cub Scouts and journeyed his way up into
the Boy Scouts achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in 1962. Bootsie did not stop there and continued to earn his bronze, silver, and gold palms.

On Aug. 24, 1968, he married the love of his life and his sister’s best friend, Elaine Kathryn Raeke. They
made their home in the Rockhouse Community and he joined his wife as an active member of the Industry United Methodist Church, serving over the years as a
trustee and working with several building committees for projects in the church. Together they had three children, Laurie, Brett, and Blake.

Bootsie was active in family life attending baseball games, school and church programs, and helping to raise
numerous animal projects for 4-H and FFA. One of his greatest family achievements was becoming a grandpa, known as Papo to Ben, Emily, and Elaina Shupak,
Dillon Galle, and Kelton Galle.

He became a role model not only to his children but to the youth of the entire community when he became
Scoutmaster of Industry Troop 299 in 1980, and remained in that capacity for 15 years. During his tenure as Scoutmaster, he had 6 boys become Eagle
Scouts, was selected as the David Crockett District Scoutmaster of the Year in 1990, and achieved the highest honor for a Scoutmaster, the Silver Beaver
award, in 1994. He was very proud that both of his sons achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and has stressed the importance of achieving this rank to his
grandsons.

Bootsie has done carpentry work since attending Blinn College. He started his career working in Brenham under
Walter Thielemann and was later employed by Eddie Pilcik in Industry until going out on his own. He and his brother Burnie began Galle Construction in
1984, which is still going strong with an honorable reputation known for their integrity and hard work ethics.

Bootsie provided 20 years of service to Adam 5 Volunteer Ambulance and served as an instructor for ECA classes
for about 10 years. He has also been a member of the Industry Volunteer Fire Department for well over 40 years and was elected Fireman of the Year in 2003.
Bootsie was a member of the West End Lions Club for a number of years, serving as President for the 1978-79 term. The Lions Club honored him as Citizen
of the Year in 1995. In addition to these things Bootsie had become known as the chief stew cooker, chicken fryer, and BBQ-er for numerous fund raisers
in the community.

Bootsie loved being outdoors, working with his cattle in his “spare time” and gardening in his garden that
was big enough to feed half of the West End area. But, most of all, he loved “getting away” to have some time to himself or with his family in the
“Hills”, the Hill Country between Junction and Harper, Texas that he loved so dearly. He loved hunting deer but in his later years enjoyed hunting
them with cameras more than a gun.

He was preceded in death by his father Hilbert Galle, father-in-law Alwin Raeke, and sister-in-law Karen Galle.

Survivors include wife Elaine, mother Aldean Galle of Industry, mother-in-law Florence Raeke of Industry,
daughter Laurie and her husband Terry Shupak of Bleiblerville, son Brett and his wife Lisa Galle of New Ulm, and son Blake and his wife Carrie Galle of
Huntsville, sister Mary Ann and her husband Larry Eckermann of Burton, and brother Burnie Galle of New Ulm, grandchildren Ben, Emily, and Elaina Shupak,
Dillon Galle, and Kelton Galle, and numerous nieces and nephews.